Season Recap: Youth Movement Helps Mens Lacrosse Continue Ascent

Photo courtesy of Gil Talbot.

In the third season under John Tillman, the Frisbie Family Head
Coach for Harvard Men’s Lacrosse, the Crimson reached as high
as No. 11 in the national rankings for the second straight season,
won at least six games for the third consecutive spring and
defeated then-No. 6 Princeton for the first time since
1990.

Harvard, which will return more than 86 percent of its offense
next season, was led by junior attacker Dean Gibbons, who tallied
27 goals and added a team-best 14 assists for 41 points.
Sophomore attackman Jeff Cohen, who completed the season with a
25-game point streak dating back to 2009, tied for the 14th longest
scoring streak in the nation, paced the Crimson with 29
goals. Gibbons and Cohen combined for 11 of Harvard’s
19 man-up tallies, while sophomore attacker Kevin Vaughan (15-8-23)
led the way with two game winners.

In addition to returning the majority of its offense, Harvard will
bring back its two goalkeepers that saw the most time in
2010. As a freshman, Harry Krieger posted a 4-4 overall
record, while owning a 10.75 goals-against average. Krieger
earned wins over Holy Cross, Massachusetts, Dartmouth and
Princeton. In addition, Krieger was named the Ivy League
Rookie of the Week April 5 after stopping a season-high 14 shots
against then-No. 5 Duke before a record 13,285 fans at Harvard
Stadium. Sophomore Christian Coates boasted a 2-2 record in
goal, while owning a 9.62 goals-against average.

At season’s end, Gibbons, sophomore midfielder Terry White
and senior defenseman Ben Smith garnered All-Ivy League honors,
with Gibbons and White earning spots on the second team, while
Smith was tabbed All-Ivy honorable mention. Gibbons and White
were also named to the New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse
Association (NEILA) All-New England second team.

The Crimson opened its 132nd season with an impressive, 16-6,
victory at home against Canisius Feb. 26. Gibbons set a
personal best with five goals on only six shots, while Cohen
chipped in with three goals and an assist. Harvard enjoyed a
strong day in faceoffs, as Christian Oberbeck won 9-of-12 draws and
Andrew Parchman went 7-of-8 on faceoffs. The Crimson, which
moved up to No. 11 in the polls then traveled south to visit No. 14
Georgetown in a key non-conference tilt March 3. Vaughan,
senior attacker Travis Burr and Cohen each netted three goals
apiece, helping Harvard come back from a 13-8 deficit in the final
minutes, but the Crimson could not find the equalizer, falling,
13-12.

On March 6, Harvard began a three-game win streak, starting with a
9-7 win at Holy Cross. Gibbons guided the offense with a
four-goal showing, while Krieger turned aside seven of the 14 shots
he faced in the victory. One week later, the Crimson grabbed
its second road win, as Harvard knocked off No. 18 Massachusetts,
14-13. Sophomore defenseman Daniel DiMaria grabbed a
career-best eight ground balls, while the duo of Cohen and Gibbons
combined for six scores.

The Crimson returned home to host Colgate March 16, as Harvard
defeated the Raiders, 11-8. Freshman midfielder Alex White
collected six ground balls, won six faceoffs and scored a goal in
the win, while Vaughan contributed a hat trick and an assist, as
the team improved to 4-1 on the season.

Harvard then opened Ivy League play against Brown in the
Crimson’s first game of the season at Harvard Stadium March
20. The Bears used a six-goal run in the first and second
quarters to carry a 7-4 lead at halftime. Harvard went on a
scoring run of its own in the second half, but could not close the
gap, dropping the game, 13-11. Cohen and Terry White each
tallied four goals to lead Harvard’s offense.

The Crimson rebounded the following week by earning a 13-11
victory against Dartmouth, as Harvard picked up its first Ivy
League win and improved to 5-2 overall. The Crimson used a
10-goal second half to overcome a 7-3 halftime deficit against the
Big Green. Seven different Harvard players found the back of
the net, led by Cohen, who contributed a hat trick. Freshman
midfielder Jeff Molinari scooped up a career-high nine ground
balls, while Parchman went 10-for-13 on faceoffs and Alex White won
11-of-14 draws.

On April 2, Harvard hosted national power Duke under the lights at
Harvard Stadium. Dean Gibbons netted two goals and added an
assist, while the trio of Vaughan, Parchman and Cohen collected
three ground balls apiece in a 14-5 win for the Blue Devils. Up
next, the Crimson visited then-No. 10 Cornell looking to improve on
its 1-1Ivy League record. Harvard, which led 8-7 entering the
fourth quarter, surrendered six goals in the final frame, falling
just short, 13-12. Cohen continued his offensive surge,
tallying four goals and adding an assist for five points, while
Gibbons fired two shots into the back of the net and dished out two
helpers. Krieger turned aside 14 shots, while Parchman
claimed 10 faceoff wins out of 16 chances.

Harvard remained on the road to face Penn April 17 in a game
broadcast throughout the Northeast on Comcast Sportsnet. The
Quakers, which held the Crimson to only 27 shots for the game, used
a five-goal run in the third quarter to hold off Harvard,
12-7.

With the Crimson’s back against the wall and in need of a
win against No. 6 Princeton in order to remain alive for a spot in
the inaugural Ivy League tournament, Harvard put forth its best
performance of the season, upsetting the tigers, 11-8, at Harvard
Stadium April 24. On Senior Day before 2,827 fans, Harvard
held a 6-4 lead at halftime and never looked back, defeating the
Tigers for the first time in 19 games. In the win, which
helped the Crimson improve to 6-5 overall and 2-3 in the Ancient
Eight, Alex White won 12 faceoffs, grabbed eight ground balls and
caused a turnover and was rewarded as the Ivy League Rookie of the
Week. Vaughan notched a hat trick, while Krieger stopped 13
shots to earn the key victory.

In the regular-season finale, Harvard traveled to New Haven,
Conn., to take on archrival and 17th-ranked Yale, as the Crimson
needed a win to clinch a spot in the postseason. Cohen scored
four goals and Vaughan dished out four assists, including three on
goals by Cohen, but Harvard was held scoreless in the final 10:01
of the game and fell, 9-8. In addition to his four-point
game, Vaughan grabbed a team-high six ground balls, while Krieger
recorded seven saves, as Harvard completed its season 6-6 overall
and 2-4 in the Ivy League.